Costa Rica: Adapting to the Developing Third world Past Review
By Eric M (Political Science & International Relations, Carleton College) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: San Jose, Costa Rica
I became even more independent and confident, I made some incredible friends, and I greatly improved in my language capabilities.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad Veritas |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I had strong support from the on-site administrators, but I heard complaints from other students who were unable to make as strong of a connection with the administrators. The biggest problem was with laundry, which really wasn't a big issue in the long run. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements did not help with languages too much, but since I knew more Spanish than many of the other students, I was able to help and direct them since I was frequently put in charge of speaking the language when we would be in a group. |
| * Food: |
I was not too much of a fan of Costa Rican cuisine, but I did enjoy Soda d' Mary's which had the best fish ever. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Traveling was the highlight of this program, Costa Rica is a small country, so much can be seen in little time. Horseback riding in Monteverde was my favorite part of the trip. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Petty theft is an issue, but there are not many serious crimes. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent close to 150 to 200 per week on food and travel expenses, but I traveled every weekend, so it was fairly expensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cosmetics for girls cost a ton of money, so I recommend bringing those early. Sunscreen cost 15 dollars there. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level Spanish |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The host country language(Spanish) was the primary language used in my interactions. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Travel as much as possible, it encourages the most language acquisition. |
